Method for joining textile threads



Aug. 2, 1966 Filed March 25, 1964 c. H. PORTER METHOD FOR JOINING TEXTILE THREADS 5 Sheets-Sheet l C. H. PORTER METHOD FOR JOINING TEXTILE THREADS Aug. 2, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheep 2 Filed March 25, 1964 Aug. 2, 1966 Filed March 25, 1964 C. H. PORTER METHOD FOR JOINING TEXTILE THREADS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Au 2,. 1966 c. H. PORTER 3, ,0

METHOD FOR JOINING TEXTILE THREADS Filed March 25, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 AIM Aug. 2, 1966 c. H. PomER 3,264,023

METHOD FOR JOINING TEXTILE THREADS Filed March 25, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,264,023 METHOD FOR J GININ G TEXTILE THREADS Clarence H. Porter, 295 North St., Hingham, Mass. Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 354,698 7 Eiaims. (Cl. 289-1.5)

This invention relates to joining textile threads or yarns, more particularly singles formed of, or in large part for-med or", overlapped, discontinuous filaments or fibers. Typical of these is singles cotton yarn, but the invention is also applicable to worsted, synthetics, and mixtures.

It is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,515,172, of E. 1. Abbott and corresponding patents in other countr es, how to join threads by a method which involves combmm g untwisted end portions of two threads and then reconstltuting the combined portion, finishing with a unction that has the same amount of twist as the original threads. Since it is difficult to secure in the junction the same umformity of fiber-to-fiber relation that is obtained 1n the original spinning, the present invention aims to provide a method by which weakness in a reconstituted thread can be effectively offset or removed.

As will appear from this specification the method here described involves tying a knot in a single ply of a bundle of fibers in which there are fibers from the ends of both original yarns.

The knot preferably is of a type which is very small and has no tails. Superficial inspection of the knot would suggest that it is useless, constituting a minute local enlargement in the thread. However, tying the knot greatly facilitates making the junction in a reliable manner. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention wlll be apparent from this specification and its accompanying drawings. 7

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram showing two threads set up for joining by a preferred form of the present method.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the end portions of these threads set up for joining by the present method and showing these end portions having been untwisted and frayed.

FIG. 3 shows the end portion of the threads of FIG. I joined and the junction gripped by a clamp.

FIG. 4 is a simplified elevation of two thread guiding, clamping and pulling units which may be used as tools in the practice of the method. Since FIG. 4 shows two units which are the same but are oppositely directed, some structure which shows more clearly in the position of the right unit is omitted in the showing of the left unit, and vice versa.

FIG. 5 is a left elevation of the right one of the two units of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the adjacent ends of the two units of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the threads after their end portions have been combined, and also relating the combined threads to the two units which are shown in detail in FIGS. 4-6.

FIG. 8 shows two loops of the thread as having been greatly reduced in size as compared to FIGS. 1 and 7.

FIG. 9 shows the thread as in condition to be gripped by the pulling clamps of the two units.

FIG. 10 shows the two units as having clamped the thread and also as having released the two loops.

FIG. 11 shows the thread as the two units have separated and nearly completely tightened the knot.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing some geometrical relations which aid in determining the preferred dimensions of some parts of the two units.

Referring to FIG. 1 it will be seen that if one disregards the fact that the adjacent end portions of the two threads A and B at the top of the figure are distinct and 3,254,023 Patented August 2, 1966 unjoined, the figure would represent an opened-up overhand knot, indeed would represent the knot which appears in FIG. 11, greatly opened up. As in the final knot there are three crossings. Considering the configuration of FIG. 1 to be laid in a plane, it will be seen that, tracing the course of thread A in either direction it goes over (or in front of) B, then below (or behind) B, then over (or in front of) B. Thread B has the reverse relation to A, going under, then over, then under, A. In FIG. 1 the distance between the lines XX and YY is intended to represent somewhat less than the maximum length of the fibers of the threads A and B. The thread B may, for instance, extend to the take-up package such as a cone or cheese in a winder, and thread A may, for instance, extend to a supply bobbin, new or old, in this winder.

As initial operations, the main parts of the two threads are twisted in the direction of their original twist, to store extra twist in the main part of thread A to the left of line XX at the top of the figure and in the main part of thread B to the right of line YY, and the two extratwisted threads are clamped to retain such extra twist, thread A being held at XX and thread B at YY.

The end part of thread A, to the right of line XX is then untwisted and its fibers pulled to fray it off at about line YY, and the end part of thread B to the left of line Y-Y, is similarly frayed and untwisted. FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows the two frayed ends. The fibers which are shown as extending out like brush bristles in FIG. 2 will be anchored into the main twisted parts of the threads to the left of XX in the case of thread A and to the right of YY in the case of thread B. That is, while the respective threads will have been clamped at XX and YY during the untwisting and fraying, the clamping will not have been so tight as to prevent the removal by fraying of fibers which extended only a little way into the twisted parts. These fibers will have been removed.

The two thread ends are then combined by overlapping the frayed untwisted parts and at this stage are preferably pressed firmly together.

The combined untwisted portion of strand is then twisted, by applying twist thereto, the twist being in the same direction as in the original thread. The twist thus applied will be transferred thereto from the extra-twisted main portions of the threads.

The combined strand, in the region from XX to YY will now resemble the remainder of the thread, but having been taken apart and put together, it will not be as strong. The combined strand is shown as clamped by a clamp 10, FIG. 3, midway between lines XX and YY. For this clamp 10 a clamp operating on the principle of a surgeons locking forcep, that is, biased toward the clamping position, is preferred, but this is not an essential feature.

Two thread guiding, clamping and pulling units are indicated generally by reference characters 11a and 11b in FIG. 4 and are the same in construction, but are oppositely directed, and are suitably guided for sliding movement to the right and left in FIG. 4, along base 12, toward and away from each other. 12a indicates a slide way for each unit, and 121: a stop shoulder against which the unit can abut in its position nearest to the other unit as in FIG. 4. The unit includes a main member 13, having a generally upwardly facing curved shoulder or ledge 14, the shoulder 14 of unit 11a being seen in FIG. 4. Thread A may be laid on this shoulder in the course of bringing this thread into the configuration of FIG. 1 and the part thereof that will lie on this shoulder may be that which is in the region of the reference character 14A in FIG. 1. Thread B will similarly lie on the corresponding shoulder of unit 11b and the part thereof that may lie on this shoulder is indicated at 14B in FIG. 1. The two units thus together constitute holding means adapted to receive the separate threads with a view to having them in the configuration of FIG. 1.

The upper part of member 13 has a downwardly facing clamping surface 17, terminating at its rear at a web 18 which as seen in FIG. 6 is of wedge section. FIG. shows how the beak-shaped upper part of member 13, having the downwardly facing clamping surface 17, extends from the web 18 over a portion of the curved shoulder 14. A sliding clamping member 19 is normally retracted beneath the shoulder 14 in a slot 20 so as not to interfere with placing the thread on this shoulder. The broken line indication of member 19 in FIG. 5 shows the clamping position of this member 19 where it presses the thread against the clamping surface 17. The member 19 may be brought to this clamping position, shown 'in full lines in FIG. 4, by a spring-biased toggle lever 19a pivoted at 1% and acting on a pin 19c which projects from member 19. The toggle lever is omitted from FIG. 5 for simplicity of illustration.

As seen in FIG. 5 the unit has a widened portion extending from its left face, provided with a side plate 26, to form a trough 27. This trough is seen in plan in FIG. 5 and the corresponding trough of the other unit 11b is seen in elevation in FIG. 4.

In the configuration of FIG. 1 part 27A of thread A will lie in the trough 27 of unit 11b and part 27B of thread B will lie in the trough of the unit 11a. Where the directions of thread cross in the central part of this configuration the two threads are preferably kept separated by a vertical tapered pin 30 located in between the two units. Where in FIG. 1 the courses of the two threads cross at either side of the figure the threads will be separated by the respective unit. Thus at the right of FIG. 1, the web 18 of the right unit 11a will lie between the two threads.

Each unit is provided with a loop-holding pin carried by an arm 36 pivotally mounted at 36a, which is urged by a spring 36b to hold the pin against the face of member 13 as seen in FIG. 5. In FIG. 4 the upper corner portion of arm 36 is broken away to show the location of pin 35 of the unit 11b. The pin 35 for unit 11a is at the rear side of this unit as seen in FIG. 4. Each pin 35 is preferably located so that its center line coincides with the clamping surface 17 of its unit (FIG. 10), that is, so that the plane of the clamping surface would bisect the face of the pin, and each clamping surface 17 preferably lies so that its plane is at least approximately directed tangentially to the pin 35 of the other unit.

Now assuming that the threads have been laid in the units and the ends united and clamped by the clamp 10 as described, the junction of the threads is laid across the two pins 35 as shown in full lines in the diagram of FIG. 7 where the pin of the right hand unit 11a bears against the rear face of that unit and the pin 35 of unit 11b bears against the front face of that unit. That part of the thread A to the left of the pins may then be allowed to drape from the left pin into the trough 27 of the left unit and that part of thread B to the right of the pins may similarly go into the trough 27 of the right unit, as indicated in dotted lines showing portions of the threads A and B in FIG. 7.

The loops of thread are then reduced in size by drawing thread A out to the right over the curved shoulder 14 of unit 11a and thread B out to the left over the corresponding shoulder 14 of the other unit 11b. This repositions the thread crossings and brings them into the region of the junction. At about the stage of FIG. 8 the threads will leave. the. pin 30 and as the thread continues to be drawn out from either side of the device it will wrap progressively more around pins 35 until it comes up against the two clamping surfaces 17, whereupon it resembles the configuration of FIG. 9. Although the thread will lie against the web 18 at the entrance edge of each clamping surface 17 (left edge of clamping surface 17 of unit 11a) it is spaced away from the web everywhere in the clamping area except at the very entrance edge because of a rounded protuberance 40 from the web 18. The thread is thus accessible to the clamping action of member 19.

FIG. 10 shows the yarn as clamped by the members 19. Following the clamping, the pins 35 are retracted as indicated by their absence from FIG. 10, releasing the two loops of thread from the pins. One such loop will then hang down from the clamping surface 17 of the right hand unit and then extend upwardly into the left side of clamp 10. The other such loop will similarly extend down from the clamping sunface of the left hand unit and then upwardly into the right side of clamp 10, and as indicated in FIG. 10 these loops are crossing loops.

The two units are then moved apart, and before the two loops are very much extended laterally by the separation of the units, the clamp 10 is released. Further separation of the two units tightens the knot as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 11. Finally the members 19 are retracted to release the united thread.

While the application of the clamp 10 to the junction has been described as following the restoration of twist into the junction, it may sometimes be advisable to apply the clamp before such restoration of twist, in which case the clamped middle part of the junction would remain nearly without twist until the clamp is released. Then by postponing release of the clamp 10 until the knot has been partly tightened and nearly in the FIG. 11 condition, very little twist will run into the formerly clamped part, and the finally tightened knot itself will have less than the usual thread twist, which makes for a more compact knot.

It is within the scope of the invention to lubricate the thread in the region in which the knot forms. For instance, a few drops of water may be applied in any of the positions shown in FIGS. 9, 10 or 11.

One objective in carrying out of the method is to insure that the material of the junction which has been disturbed by untwisting and fraying will not be pulled apart in the course of the tying. This is accomplished in the first instance by the clamp 10. Referring to FIG. 3 the thread between XX and the clamp 10 will have been disturbed by the untwisting and fraying, but since the distance between XX and the clamp is less than one half of a fiber length this distance will be bridged by fibers that are difiicult to pull apart. Similarly with the fibers that extend between Y--Y and the clamp 10.

After the thread is clamped by the members 19 against the clamping surfaces 17 and clamp 10 has been released it'is desirable to have the length of thread extending between the clamping members 19 short as the knot is tightened. When necessary the pins 35 and their spacing can be made very compact.

Assuming that the thread were to lie in a plane in the diagram of FIG. 12, that the diameter of each pin is d and that their distance apart is also d, and that the thread is clamped at both points M and N, it can be seen by inspection that the distance from M to and around the left pin 35 then to and around the right pin 35 and over to N is less than 1rd+4d, i.e., is in the region of 7d. Allowance will have to made for the crossing of the thread with itself and for the fact that the webs :18 have appreciable thickness, which would throw' the actual configuration of the thread somewhat out of a plane. However, it should be easy to have the length of thread from one clamping member 19 to the other amount to no more than about 10d. This would suggest a diameter d of perhaps 0.05 inch for use with cotton thread, so that a length of only one-half inch of thread, i.e., less than half a fiber length, would extend from one member 19 to the other when these clamped the thread to pull the knot tight. Pins 35 could be smaller than this. There need be no running travel'of the thread around these small pins because the thread is merely laid over them and then folded around them whereupon the thread is clamped by members 19 and the pins retracted to release the loops.

I claim:

1. Method of joining two threads comprising the operations of bringing the two unjoined threads into a configuration having crossings corresponding to the crossings of an overhand knot with the end parts of the two threads substantially free from twist, putting the two twist-free parts together, and applying twist to at least portions of the put-together end parts and reducing the configuration to an overhand knot inclusive of fibers of both initially unjoined threads.

2. Method according to claim 1 further characterized 'by inhibiting entry of twist into the small portion of the put-together end parts which constitutes the body of the overhand knot.

'3. Method according to claim 1 further characterized by holding a portion of the put-together end parts clamped while reducing the configuration.

4. Method according to claim 1 further characterized by clamping each of the unjoined threads near its end and removing therefrom endmost fibers which are not retained by the main part of the clamped thread, before putting the two twist-free parts together.

'5. Method according to claim 1 further characterized in that the fibers which form the two end par-ts extend into and are anchored by the main twisted parts of the threads.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,262,034 11/19'41 Noling 289-l-'8 2,515,172 7/1950 Abbott 57l59 2,608,426 8/19521 Connor 289-18 2,646,298 7/ 1-953 Leary 2891.5 2,702,718 2/1955 ShOr-tland 289-1.5 3,082,593 3/1 963' Rhyne 57-142 X OTHER REFERENCES Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope, by Granmont and Cornell Maritime Press, 1945 edition, pages 11 to 13 relied on.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

L. K. 'RI'MRODT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. METHOD OF JOINING TWO THREADS COMPRISING THE OPERATIONS OF BRINGING THE TWO UNJOINED THREADS INTO A CONFIGURATION HAVING CROSSINGS CORRESPONDING TO THE CROSSINGS OF AN OVERHAND KNOT WITH THE END PARTS OF THE TWO THREADS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM TWIST, PUTTING THE TWO TWIST-FREE PARTS TOGETHER, AND APPLYING TWIST TO AT LEAST PORTIONS OF THE PUT-TOGETHER END PARTS AND REDUCING THE CONFIGURATION TO AN OVERHAND KNOT INCLUSIVE OF FIBERS OF BOTH INITIALLY UNJOINED THREADS. 